Posts from 2004

Imagine all the hottest tracks of Motown, all mashed up in a megamix of soulful body-movin’ music. DJ Z-Trip delivers exactly that in this 9-minute long non-stop funk-fest. He drops into it with some Jackson 5 loads you up with the finest grooves of The Temptations, and even forcefeeds you some hard-hitting Edwin Starr. DJ Z-Trip is widely regarded as one of the finest sampling and mashup professionals, alongside 2 Many DJ’s, Double D and Steinski, Coldcut, and The Avalances. Peep the excellent interview over at Downhill Battle, and also check out the great things they’re doing to protect our right to listen to music.The very best of Motown’s finest groove-filled gems.

N’Dambi got started as vocalist with the big afro, backing up the soul siren Erykah Badu. Her solo albums sound like what you’d expect from Sunshine Anderson, India.Arie, The Princesses Nubiens, or Erykah — laid back grooves with an upright bass, a scatting vocal line, and a head-nodding chorus. “Call Me” snuck itself in my head after listening to my man Maze’s radioshow. It’s a standard song structure, but it’s got definite head-nod appeal. Her gentle voice injects subtle but solid emotion that gets right down to the soul of it. It’s a red-light drizzly night outside, but you’re in where the vibe is swingin’.

We all have our favorite untitled track from Sigur Rós’s epic 2002 record ( ). We have no idea what those words are, but they’re so entirely soothing; the emotion wrought out by that voice matches the soft, glowing and powerful ethereal sounds of the band. “Ba Ba” was part of an experiment called Split Sides; a collaboration between Sigur Ros, Radiohead, and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company to explore the interaction between avant-garde music and dance. The music and art that emerged is something I’d call breathtaking.Lay down with this music. It’ll carry you on fingertips of contentment into a restful sleep.

You’ve undoubtably heard the classic song “Take Five” performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Though Brubeck’s name gets the glory, it’s musical genius Paul Desmond that crafted the exquisite tune. Desmond wrote the delicious “Take Ten” in the same 5/4 (or 10/8) meter, hence the curious song titles. It features his refined and poignant alto saxophone again, along with the guitar stylings of Jim Hall and the lush bassline of Eugene Wright.Let Desmond’s delicate phrasing and butterfly tone enliven your desire for love.

Layers upon layers of sound that whooshing by you in a sonic fury. Norway’s Xploding Plastix erupted in their country’s impressive music scene with their debut, Amateur Girlfriends Go Proskirt Agents and earned themselves a Grammy for best electronica record. Their music is like James Bond lounge-jazz meets Amon Tobin; Henry Mancini vs. Squarepusher. Their blow-you-away website has all their music available, in high fidelity audio. A triplage of gorgeous music, today, for you to indulge in.

How many dazzling songs do you know that feature a harpsichord? “Golden Brown” throws one right at you and carries it in a waltzing 3/4 time signature. Well known from the Snatch soundtrack, it’s a psychedelic carnival loop of a rock song. The Better Daze cover comes off the delicious Ubiquity Rewind album and delivers a jazz rendition of the classic. A loose doublebass partners with a strummin’ guitar and cooks up a tasty pot of golden brown sonic sound.The first for the uninitiated. The second for the jazz guitar twist.

It ain’t just an exquisite dish; it’s some Orlando-town funkin’. “Threes” warms you up with a fit bassline, the dubbed-down tempo is propelled by the lyrics from the arsenal of MC Swamburger and Melissa Mye, but it don’t stop till a tabla enters in and mirrors the vocals rhythms.“Slightly Elevated” is heavier on the funk. It brings in some definite acid jazz riffing which gets slightly tiring, but the harmonies at 4:45 bookend the song sweetly.Git funked, git crunked, now git on down, son.

I don’t know what can convey how simple and lovely this song is better than the lyrics, so: My, my you’re just like pie, when I call you on the phone. You say hello and that’s the crust, the filling is yet to come. My, my you’re just like eggs. You’re all slimy on the outside and yolky in the middle. Wait a second… that’s not right; what I really meant is that I love you in the morning. Oh, I love you in the morning.No joke you’re an artichoke. You have to peel away the outside which is good ya know but the inside is better…

This man is a legend. This song is a Sunday morning hummingbird, vibing into your ear and causing you to wriggle. Gilberto’s voice is nudging your body to get delicious and join the groove. A playful flute weaves through the tree branches while Gil’s guitar strums a tune you swear you’ve heard.Grab a maraca and get in to it.

Akufen’s unique sound arises out of a dedication to keep his listeners’ ears on their toes. For his acclaimed 2002 album, My Way, Akufen used a technique he calls micro-sampling; he would record hours of AM/FM radio and splice together half-second samples of different songs and voices to make a pattern-work quilt of fierce house sound. And now, just last month, The Rip Off Artist, Freeform, and Akufen collaborated on Blu Tribunal, a record to explore the convergence of blues and electronica. The music that came out is something you’ve never quite heard.We’ve got two differently similar sounds here. Pick door number one for fractured house, two for the blues on mescaline.